Definition, Application and Types of Hydraulic Oil Coolers

We think of hydraulic systems as heat generators. The constant flow of fluid through the system, friction between system components, long-term operation, and many other factors together increase the temperature of the fluid. The increased temperature will affect the viscosity of the fluid, increase system wear, damage the lubricating film, increase the risk of cavitation, internal leakage, and thus shorten the service life of the system. Most problems with hydraulic system overheating can be solved by choosing an effective system cooling method.

There are two ways to prevent hydraulic systems from overheating.

The first is to ignore the resulting temperature by increasing the tank size and using a large amount of hydraulic oil, however, this method is expensive and wastes hydraulic oil.

The second method is more efficient, in which the circulating hydraulic oil passes through some cooling component to reduce the heat. Usually, this cooling component is an oil cooler. Systems with oil coolers to reduce heat can run effectively for a long time without overheating.

The following is the definition, advantages, applications and types of oil coolers in hydraulic systems.

1. Definition and advantages of oil cooler:

Oil cooler is also called heat exchanger. The main function of oil cooler in hydraulic system is to prevent overheating of the system. Oil cooler in both closed and open hydraulic systems will pass hydraulic oil through coils or cores to reduce the heat generated by the oil. Similarly, this cooling component can reduce environmental impact.

The following are important advantages of using oil cooler:

(1) Stable cooling and filtering performance;

(2) Not affected by changes in fluid flow and duty cycle;

(3) The size of the oil cooler can be changed according to the heat load;

(4) Extend the service life of hydraulic system and hydraulic oil;

(5) The pressure in the return line will not affect the oil cooler. Because it is placed separately;

(6) Improve the overall efficiency and productivity of the system;

(7) Easy to maintain and repair;

(8) Repair/maintenance can be carried out without shutting down the entire system.

2. Application of hydraulic oil coolers:

Hydraulic oil coolers are widely used in agriculture, manufacturing, automobile and other industries. The important components required for building hydraulic oil coolers are oil reservoirs, cooling fans, safety valves, filters, micro hydraulic motors, etc. The oil cooler is directly related to the heat load. For systems with higher heat generation, the cooler size needs to be proportionally larger to withstand this load. Another major consideration in selecting a hydraulic oil cooler is the required flow rate, oil temperature, and oil viscosity, etc.

3. Types of hydraulic oil coolers:

Air-cooled oil coolers and water-cooled oil coolers are two important categories of oil coolers used in hydraulic systems. In air-cooled oil coolers, it will be equipped with an electric or hydraulic fan and cool the heated fluid by passing air through the cooler. Water-cooled oil coolers use liquid to cool the hydraulic oil. This cooler is more efficient, quieter, and smaller. In order to prevent contamination of the two fluids, an isolation layer is used for isolation.